Philosophy of Autechres music
People often talk about music and most of those people are stupid. So here is the definitive look at the philosophy of one of musics pioneers (x 2 because there are two autechre people). Before we can fully delve into the philosophy of autechres music we must first define what exactly is philosophy. Well Philosophy (from the Greek words philos and sophia meaning "love of wisdom") is understood in different ways historically and by different philosophers. It, therefore, requires a meta-philosophy to adjudicate. Although it can be conceded that philosophy aims at some kind of understanding, knowledge or wisdom about fundamental matters such as reality, knowledge, meaning, value, being and truth, it is not clear whether these pursuits require a dialectical, i.e., dialogical, approach.
The term may also refer to the collective works of major philosophers. It can mean the academic exploration of various questions raised by philosophers; it can also mean a certain critical, creative way of thinking. Contemporary Western academic 'philosophy' has two broad traditions: 'analytic' and 'continental' philosophy. The former tradition is commonly focused on conceptual analysis. The latter tradition is distinctive for its associations with particular problems. Eastern philosophy is another, distinct tradition. Each of these can be considered individually or in comparison with the others. Philosophy, thus, has several connotations in common speech.
Source: Autechre site

FAQ on Autechre

Where do Autechre live?
Rob Brown currently lives in London, while Sean Booth lives in Suffolk. They moved from Sheffield about a year ago.

How is Autechre pronounced?
Autechre can be pronounced any way you feel is best: ah-tek-ray, ah-tek-er, ah-te-ker, ah-tetsh-er are all different ways I've heard it pronounced. According to an interview, Autechre themselves say awe-tek-er.

Which label is Autechre on?
Autechre have been signed to the well-known Warp records since their first album. Other artists on the Warp label include Aphex Twin, Squarepusher, Plaid, Boards of Canada, Plone and many more. Warp's website can be found at: Warprecords. Autechre's first ever release, an ep called 'cavity job', was released on Hardcore records in 1991.

What is Autechre like live?
Well they do either a dj set, a mix set or a full on production with synths. I saw the mix set. This is where Sean and Rob each have a laptop and a custom mixer sits between them. Armed with Minidiscs, they put on a show making custom tracks out of loops they have stored, and/or put on some familiar tracks. I heard 2nd Bad Vilbel, ccec, Glitch, Peel Session 2 tracks, among other stuff. Either way, Ae live is something to see.

Is it possible to buy any Autechre merchandise?
Not as far as I know, you'll have to make your own..

Are either Rob Brown or Sean Booth married?
Yes, Sean Booth is married with Chantal Passamonte (Mira Calix). She used to work at the Warp office, handling promotion and stuff like that. Now she is a Warp artist herself - her first full-length album, 'One on One' was released in spring 2000.

What kind of computers and other gear do Autechre use?
Autechre use all sorts of computers - they use Apple Mac's a lot, but also PC's and Atari's. They even use the BBC Micro and the MSX. They use a lot of different gear - according to an interview, they are very fond of the Clavia Nord Lead line of synths. They also use an old Ensoniq EPS sampler with a modified operating system, and even some old Casio samplers (SK1 and SK5). They use lots of soft synths and plug-ins too, some of which they create themselves.

What kind of MIDI software do Autechre use?
They use lots of different software - according to an interview from 1998, they use Emagic's Logic Audio as the center of their system. It is also rumoured that they use OpcodeMAX

How do Autechre work when they create music?
According to an 1998 interview, their working method is totally random. They both have their own studios and they have no set rules about who starts or finishes a track, or when they fuse their resources. They also do tracks on their own, without any influence from each other. They are very choosy about what material they release - every album is composed of roughly 300 minutes of music. For 'Chiastic Slide' they had made 60 tracks over a one-year period, and 9 of these tracks eventually made it to the album. You might wonder why they don't release double albums.. I certainly hope they will some day.

Steve Shaw: Why have you decided to return to more repetitive rhythmic structures in Untilted? Did you have dancefloors more in mind for this album?Rob Brown: "It’s hard to know when someone calls your stuff repetitive, because you know that it’s not. Compared to the last album, Untilted is warmer. It’s fuller, we’ve got the production a lot better. It’s wider, it’s tougher and more sensitive all in one. Does that make sense? I’ve always been into emotional, hard music..
Fudi myo: When do you work best? Late at night? Afternoons? Rob Brown: "t’s changed over the years. We’ve been doing well lately. Getting down to it in the afternoons but really hitting the spot early evening. Not wearing ourselves too thin till six in the morning like we used to."Chris Hopcroft:PC or Mac?Rob Brown: "Both. Mostly Mac, just for convenience and quality. The build is better. But it’s not as customisable. With a PC, if you're a real geek you can get ahead of everyone with loads of components. Apple is cased in concrete, but it is concrete nonetheless and you can rely on that sometimes."